Saturday 24 August 2002 - Twerton Park - kick off 3.00pm Dr Martens Premier Division

City's line-up saw just one change to the side that drew with Havant & Waterlooville four days earlier, Dan Cleverley deservedly earning a starting place after his impressive substitute appearance in that match at the expense of Dean Birkby. And included on the bench was Mike Trought recovered from his groin injury. As early as 90 seconds into the game City almost took the lead. Jason Eaton was sent clear by Jamie Gosling's pass but lost his footing on the heavily grassed pitch at the vital moment. Gosling was at the heart of anything positive from City - firing a 10th minute Frankie Bennett cross over and then having a goalbound shot deflected away for a corner. The resultant set-piece saw Gary Thorne send a free header straight at keeper Wietecha. It had been all City up to this point but in the 18th minute they had a very lucky escape. There seemed little danger when a right wing cross found Dryden 20 yards out but his looping header left Mark Bryant helpless only for the underside of the bar to come to his rescue. This break didn't seem to unduly affect City and they were soon back on the attack. Wietecha pulled of a good save from another Gosling effort on 32 minutes and then Cleverley set up Iain Harvey to fire wastefully wide. Folkestone were now forced to use any means to try to stop City's star player - Chambers and Daniels both receiving cautions for fouls on Gosling - although it was Andy Williams who won a free-kick right on the edge of the box that Gosling blasted into the wall just before the break.

When the breakthrough finally arrived it was no surprise that Gosling was at the heart of it. The second half was just four minutes old when his cross was headed into the six-yard box by Thorne and Eaton went down under Daniels challenge. The referee awarded a penalty and Gosling sent Wietecha the wrong way from the spot. The pressure of searching for an opening goal was lifted and City relaxed to take an even firmer grip on proceedings. They were fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men after 54 minutes - Bennett reacting angrily to Hafner's late challenge but escaping with just a yellow card. Trought entered proceedings shortly after this incident - Gary Kemp forced off with a back injury - and he brought another excellent save out of Wietecha from Gosling's well placed free kick on 62 minutes. With the lead still at a single goal there was always the unlikely chance that Invicta might grab an undeserved equaliser but even this faint danger was removed eleven minutes from time when City scored again. Simeon Allison began a cross field move that involved Gosling, Harvey and Trought. The latter then lifted a cross toward the far post where Cleverley arrived to power a header past Wietecha. That was enough to seal City's opening victory of the season and they could look forward to the more tricky proceedings of the Chippenham derby match two days later.